MISCIBILITY AND THERMAL DEGRADATION KINETICS OF POLY-β-ALANINE/POLY(3-HYDROXYPROPIONATE) BLENDS

Poly-β-alanine insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(PBA); and polyinsert ignore into journalissuearticles values(3-hidroxypropionate); insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(PHP); were synthesized via base-catalyzed hydrogen transfer polymerization insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(HTP); of acrylamide and acrylic acid, respectively. Blends of PBA/PHP with different composition insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(PHP content, 5% to 75%); were studied using FTIR, DSC, TGA, XRD and polarized optical microscope to reveal both miscibility and thermal degradation kinetics of PBA/PHP blends.  Optical images of blends were transparent and entirely uniform. Characteristic IR bands of both components shifted in higher frequencies with increasing fraction of other component.  Melting temperature insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(T m );, thermal decomposition temperatures insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(T d ); and enthalpy of fusion insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(ΔH f ); of PHP decreased with increasing PBA fraction in blends. Thermal degradation kinetics of both components were studied by Freeman-Carroll method. Activation energies of thermal degradations of blend components were determined with a good regression coefficients insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(at least 0.994);. Activation energies of decomposition decreased from 224.14 to 86.125 kJmol -1 with increasing PHP content. XRD spectra of blends exhibited lower peak intensities than those of neat polymers. The spectroscopic, thermal and optic methods revealed that PBA and PHP were miscible with a good compatibility in amorphous phase.